Gas prices unchanged for third day after rising 37 days in a row

The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in San Diego County was unchanged today for a third consecutive day, remaining at $4.372.

The average price is 5.6 cents more than one week ago, 57.9 cents higher than a month ago and 42.9 cents greater than a year ago, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service.

A 37-day streak of increases ended Saturday when the price went unchanged. The average price increased 63.5 cents during the streak.

"It would appear the market has absorbed that quick wholesale increase," Marie Montgomery of the Automobile Club of Southern California told City News Service.

She was referring to a one-day, 35-cent per gallon increase in the wholesale cost of gasoline triggered by last month's major fire at the Cherry Point refinery near Blaine, Wash., that will cause its closure for at least three weeks, reducing supply.